Property in Spain

Spain, the land of matadors, flamenco dancing and Gaudi's morden architecture, is still one of the most appealling overseas homes destinations for Brits because of its
excellent lifestyle and property prices to suit all budgets.
At Magnolia Property we have been connecting Spanish property buyers and sellers since 2004.

Buyer Guides

Which type of property to buy in Spain?

Since the 1960s, Spain has been offering package holidays to foreigners, meaning the existing infrastructure is years ahead of emerging markets, financing is easy
and the country is one of the most accessible in Europe.

A luxury property in Spain

Luxury properties and villas

It is also home to the most expensive property in the world with luxury homes on the market for a over £50m.

Private pools

A villa with a pool might be your dream Spanish home and they can be bought for as little as £120,000. Pools will need
cleaning weekly, you can either do this yourself or employ a cleaning and maintenance company for around €40 - €70
per month. Heating a pool in Spain isn't usually necessary unless you want to use it year round in which case solar panels are a good option.

A Spanish villa with pool

Spain also offers property for those with a more modest budget and the type of property a buyer chooses will usually depend on personal preference, what their aims are,
or on the location in which they intend to buy.

Apartments

Apartments offer the cheapest prices and the highest potential for returns, are perfect lockup and leave properties, but will
offer less privacy than a house.

An apartment block in Malaga

Linked and terraced properties are comparatively cheap and easy to resell whilst townhouses give easy access to amenities, and have the additional benefits of modern surroundings.
Corner properties are also cheap and are frequently used as holiday homes, while detached properties offer more privacy but at greater cost. Traditional homes are common and community properties with a shared area are always popular.

Murcia

Murcia is a prime emerging region located between Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca.
The new Corvera airport has made Murcia more accessible and hopes to attract increased tourist numbers cutting transfer times to resorts to 20 minutes.
Fondly known as The Market Garden of Spain the region enjoys unspoilt beaches along the Costa Calida coastline and extensive
walking trails winding through pine tree lined parks.

Murcia - The Baroque Capital of Spain

Nicknamed the 'Baroque Capital of Spain' due to its wealth of buildings, beautiful monasteries, gardens, parks and
Cathedral de Santa Maria, there is much to explore. The area's natural beauty and conservation scheme appeals to those buying
for longer-term potential or relocation. Large areas in Murcia have been set aside as National and Regional Parks and as such
cannot be built on. This is an attempt to avoid the problems of overcrowding and oversupply associated with the Costas.
There are currently six golf courses and most of the new resorts do focus on golf.

Andulucia

Andulucia is a region extremely popular with overseas buyers.
Huelva is located in the Andalucia region and is the fastest growing destination for golf tourism in Spain.
Another popular destination in south-west Spain is Galera. Both Huelva and Galera would suit people with a smaller budget
wanting peace and quiet away from the coast and walking and cycling facilities.

A plaza in Huelva

Renovated cave houses are common in these areas and are available from as little as €18,000 unrestored or between €55,000 to €70,000
fully restored.

Jerez de la Frontera, in southern Spain, offers property 46% cheaper per square metre than the Spanish average and
77% less than property in Cadiz or Seville.

Islands

The Canary Islands with their year round spring like climate are a popular buying choice. They are a four hour flight away
from the UK and sit in the cold waters of the Atlantic. It is for this reason the property prices are generally cheaper
than those on The Balearic Islands which are a short haul flight away and enjoy the benefits of the Mediterranean sea.

Northern areas

Searching for a more authentic Spanish getaway, northerly areas such as Galicia and Asturias are becoming popular with middle-class buyers. If escaping somewhere away from the overcrowded and overdeveloped 'Costa's' of Spain is what you want then these quiet unspoilt coastlines with secret coves and peaceful beaches are for you. Luscious green countryside, friendly locals and a great cuisine combine with low property prices. In Galicia original stone buildings can be obtained for as little as €70,000. Asturias is more expensive with original buildings costing around €200,000; however, property in need of restoration can be picked up in both locations for minimal costs.

How to buy in Spain

So, you’ve found your ideal property in the area that you love – now what?

Engage a lawyer

The first priority is to engage a lawyer. Make sure that he is independent of the seller or estate agent, that he speaks good English if your Spanish is not up to interpreting legal documents, he is qualified and that you can get on with him. Your lawyer is going to be very important to you during the buying process so someone who is conscientious and friendly makes all the difference. Solicitors are not the same as in Britain as they can be non qualified so a lawyer is needed. They normally charge around 1 – 1.5% of the purchase price (plus VAT) and can also help you in opening up a Spanish bank account and obtaining your tax identification number (NIE).

Tax Identification Number (NIE)

An NIE is needed when making almost any official transaction involving large sums of money or connecting utilities etc. It is not complicated to get and costs very little but can take up to a few weeks to be processed so the quicker you get one the better.

Currency brokers

It may be worth using the services of a currency broker to facilitate the movement of monies from your home bank to the Spanish one. You may be able to make a ‘forward contract’ which sets the exchange rate so that you know exactly how much you
are going to spend.

Making an offer

Having got your team together you can now go to the seller or the estate agent and make your offer. If accepted you are usually asked to sign a reservation agreement which in effect takes the property off of the market for a set time, usually between 15-30 days to give you time for your lawyer to do the appropriate searches and for you to get a survey and valuation done. You will be asked for a fee of up to €5,000 to secure the property. This will be taken off of the final total and will be refunded if your searches reveal any problems not mentioned in the sale offer.

Searches

The searches should cover all aspect of the property such as any planning issues, is it registered, are there any outstanding debts on the property and if you are buying into a complex whether the seller is up to date with the community fees, amongst others. A survey is also very important as building standards can vary.

The reservation agreement (contrato de arras)

The reservation agreement, the contrato de arras, will also set a date for the sales contract, the escritura, to be signed. This commits the two parties to the transaction at a set price and within a set timescale. The full details of the transaction are also agreed.

Deposit

A deposit of between 10% and 20% is given and held in an escrow account and is not released to the seller until the day of sale. If the buyer now pulls out the deposit is forfeited but if the seller pulls out they have to pay double the deposit to the buyer. This is to prevent gazumping.

Final sales contract

The final Sales Contract is signed in front of a Notary. These are publicly appointed officials whose job is to prepare and write the deeds, ensure that they are legal and both parties understand the contract and any tax issues. They are impartial and do not offer advise but the buyer can nominate which notary they wish to use. The notary’s fee is between 0.1 and 0.4% of the value of the property. It is at this point that the remaining monies are handed to the seller in a way agreed in the arras and the keys are handed over to the buyer. All that now remains is for the change of ownership to be recorded with the Land Registry and the property is yours.

Registration

The registration of the property will cost about 1% of the value and the same amount will be needed for stamp duty. With a 10% Vat bill on new builds or similar as a resale tax you should allow 13-15% costs on top of the purchase price when considering your budget.

Sell your property in Spain

With 0% commission and advertising starting at £30 per month we can save you thousands in agent fees.

Testimonials

We advertised our property in Spain for sale on your website. I am pleased to say the house is now sold to one of your buyers, thank you very much for your service."
Andy Smith , Murcia

Yes, the buyer was from a lead from my advert with you. We've had a steady stream of visits to house but not easy selling in Spain at the moment but we've had a good response. Many thanks."
Caroline Poupin, Tarragona